Clark Terry at the BFI

A film detailing Clark Terry’s relationship with protégé Justin Kauflin gets its European premiere in October

Jazz music and its power to bring people together is the subject of Keep On Keepin’ On, a documentary starring trumpeter Clark Terry showing at the BFI London Film Festival this October.

The film, directed by Alan Hicks in his documentary debut, follows Clark Terry and young, blind protégé Justin Kauflin over four years of sessions together as Terry helps Kauflin overcome his performance anxiety. The film tells the story of how Kauflin, a gifted pianist, is slowly taught to conquer his nerves by Terry, former mentor to the likes of Quincy Jones (one of the film’s producers) and Miles Davis, and the burgeoning friendship that develops between the pair who are nearly 70 years apart in age.

In its European premiere, Keep On Keepin’ On will be shown on 8, 9 and 10 October 2014 at BFI Southbank, London SE1 and the Rich Mix Cinema, London E1, and tickets can be booked online at bfi.org.uk.

The festival, which runs from 8 to 19 October, also features a documentary about the world of drumming, with Andrew Neyman and Terence Fletcher starring in the UK premiere of Whiplash, a fast-paced look at the dynamics of the mentor-student relationship strained to its limits (showing 15, 16 and 18 October).

Find out more, browse the full lineup and book tickets at bfi.org.uk/lff.

Sally Evans-Darby

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